Free Briar Queen by Katherine Harbour Page B

you know I’d be exactly on time?”
    â€œAfter Halloween, I didn’t think you’d want to terrify me again.”
    She’d vowed to never tell him what had actually happened that night. Now, she had another secret, one she wanted to tell him, but didn’t dare, not until she knew Lily was really alive. It didn’t feel real, that remote possibility, but she would keep it in a death grip until she found out.
    As her father handed her a plate stacked with nachos, melted cheese, salsa, and his famous guacamole, her mouth watered. He said casually, “How’s Jack?”
    She bit into a nacho and noticed a book on gardening laid facedown on the table. It was winter. Her da didn’t have any indoor plants. She sighed and looked at her da, saw how the shadows had left his eyes and he was smiling more. “Fine. So are Sylvie and Christie. How is Jane Emory?”
    â€œShe’s the one who suggested I invite Jack for Christmas.” He switched on the TV. “Want to watch a movie? Something scary, or an action movie, seeing as you don’t like romance or comedy.”
    â€œYou know what? Let’s watch something funny.”

C HAPTER 4
    It is true we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world: but on that account we shall be more attached to one another .
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  — F RANKENSTEIN , M ARY S HELLEY
    S ylvie and Christie had signed up for phys ed activities that complemented HallowHeart’s posh, old-fashioned, and eccentric vibe. Sylvie took archery and Christie had fencing class, which he’d convinced Finn to try, but she wasn’t very good at it. Still, it beat soccer.
    As they’d walked toward McKinley Hall, with its Doric columns and the face of the sun god Apollo carved in granite over its doors, Christie had quietly asked Finn if she knew for certain if her sister was alive. She’d told him she wasn’t sure, but she needed find out. And Jack would help her. Christie hadn’t said anything else to her since. Now, in the fencing studio, he was pretending to be busy with his gear, ignoring her, and she was tempted to poke him with her foil.
    When Jack arrived after class had ended, Christie scowled and began slamming his equipment onto a bench.
    â€œFinn.” Jack leaned in the doorway. “Christopher.”
    â€œChristopher isn’t talking to me, so he won’t be engaging you in conversation either.”
    â€œHave you ever used one of these, Jack?” Christie straightened and twirled his foil. “I mean, in your abnormally long life, you must have.”
    â€œI’ve done so.”
    Christie tossed Jack a foil. Jack caught it with one hand and stepped forward. With a flick of the wrist, he neatly disarmed Christie, caught Christie’s foil, and tapped Christie three times—“Tierce, quarte, septime—”
    â€”before sliding both foils into their holders. “I won’t fight you, Christopher.”
    â€œ You can’t take her .” Christie’s voice startled them both—it was in pieces. “You can’t take her, Jack, to find her sister. Finn, you don’t even know if she’s alive or where the hell she is . What if it’s a trap?”
    Jack said, “Do you think I haven’t thought of that?” He reached out a hand to Finn, who clasped it. “I can’t change her mind.”
    Finn looked at Christie. “What if it was one of your brothers?”
    Christie grabbed his backpack. “He’s going to get you killed,” he said, before he stalked out of the room.
    When he’d gone, Finn turned to Jack. His eyes, one of which was always darker than the other, now seemed inky with secrets. “Did Moth tell you? Where Lily is?”
    He said softly, “She’s in the betwixt and between. Neither here nor there, second star to the right and straight on till morning. Down the rabbit